Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Cynipidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Hymenoptera Genus Andricus | |
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Similar Andricus grossulariae, Andricus kollari, Andricus coriarius, Andricus foecundatrix, Andricus quercuscalicis | ||
Andricus aries is a species of gall-forming wasps, in the genus Andricus.
The adults lay their eggs on various species of oak, including Quercus robur, Q. petraea, Q. pubescens and Q. cerris, and the developing larvae cause the trees to create an elongated gall, reminiscent of a ram's horn, hence the epithet aries and the vernacular name "Ram's Horn Gall Wasp".
The species was named by Joseph-Étienne Giraud, in 1859. It is found primarily in eastern Europe, but in the 21st century has spread to western Europe, including the United Kingdom. If was first recorded in Berkshire in 1997 and since then has spread all over the southern half of England. Only the asexual generation is known.
References
Andricus aries Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA